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Friday, September 23, 2011

When Healthy isn't Healthy Enough

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you probably know that I don't feed our family like "most people". Soaking grains, sprouting grains, and making fresh buttermilk is a thing of the past for most people in industrialized countries. Since I read Nourishing Traditions
and switched our diet to a mostly traditional one, I have experienced many wonderful changes in my health, as well as the health of my children. My allergies have lessened, and I even experienced some "die-off" during the time my body was getting used to real, healthy foods as opposed to the Standard American Diet.

But...I know there are still changes that need to take place. I have not led a healthy lifestyle throughout my younger days, and I have health issues that show me my immunity is not where it should be. No, having allergies is not normal. Having itchy, bumpy skin, children being impulsive, and lack of concentration, are not normal.

For these and other issues, I have been reading up on GAPS. GAPS is a program that uses diet, supplementation, and detoxification to heal and seal the gut lining. Did you know that most diseases begin in the gut? Our bodies are populated with good bacteria which keeps bad bacteria under wraps. But when things upset this balance of good bacteria (like antibiotics, birth control, unhealthy diet, and the bacteria population passed on to us from our mothers), the bad bacteria gets out of control, and we then obtain a host of different symptoms and diseases that modern doctors have no idea how to cure.

What is very interesting to me is that autism, dyspraxia (clumsiness), dyslexia, depression, A.D.D., A.D.H.D, and schizophrenia are ALL treatable by GAPS. This is very good news to many a worried mom out there. I want to encourage you that there is hope and healing.

As a Christian, I know that God is in control of our lives. I know that He takes care of us and does not let anything come to pass in our lives without His knowledge.

So why would I, as a Christian woman, be interested in taking on a dramatic change like this?

For one, I want to be healthy for my children. If God blesses us with more children, I want to be in as good of health as possible so I don't have the health issues I have had with other pregnancies. Another reason for going on the GAPS program is so I don't pass on unhealthy gut flora to any future children we have. I feel this is my responsibility as a mother, to give our children the best possible start to life through good health.

I am on my second day of GAPS with some of our children. At times I have felt like I am starving, as the GAPS food is super-digestable. I have wanted chocolate and the baked goods I always make. But those are out for right now. My itchy skin has already subsided, which is a great encouragement to me.

I am using a wonderful ebook that I will tell you about later that walks you through GAPS step-by-step on the GAPS introduction diet and has delicious recipes. Without it, I don't think I would be doing so well.

If you have issues that you knew could be cured and allow you to be in a better state of health to serve your family, would you take the steps to do it?

I would greatly encourage you to go to the GAPS website to read more about it, and pick up a copy of the book, for you, your children, for your whole family. I'm sure it will be a blessing to you.

I will be updating you on our progress and telling you more about GAPS in future posts.Receive Blessed Homemaking in your inbox. Subscribe here.

"As you introduce a probiotic into the digestive system, the pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi there will be dying, which releases more toxins. This increase in toxicity may produce a so-called "die-off" reaction, when you may feel more tired or generally "off color". It is a temporary reaction and usually lasts from a few days to a few weeks in different people."

Here is another description from another website I use:

"The term "die-off symptoms" is commonly used to describe symptoms and reactions that occur when large numbers of candida/fungi, viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens [viruses, bacteria, etc. that cause disease] are killed off in the body, releasing a lot of toxins into the system at one time by antibiotics or antifungals, etc.

Such symptoms are described as "flu-like", the feeling that one gets when parasites, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens are killed in the body and being cleaned out of the body. These "flu-like" symptoms are also cleansing (detoxing) reactions, caused by the body isolating and getting rid of toxins.

These symptoms include increased mucus secretions in all mucus membranes (nose, throat, sinuses, lungs, vagina, intestines, etc.) and muscle or joint aches and pains, headaches, brain fog, digestion disturbances and so on. It's like that "bad all over feeling" you had during a bout with the flu. "

Love GAPS! Your post is just ading to everything else I've seen that's convincing me to go on it for awhile. My family's done it, and I'm familiar with it. We don't have any "problems" I'd be looking for it to cure for us, but of course I am interested in improving the overall health and immunity of our bodies for now and long-term! : )

My son, now 23, was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and I put him on the Elimination diet that removes all artificial colorings and flavourings and what a differences it made. It did make cooking hard as I couldnt buy pre-made food as most contain artificial "something" so everything was made from scratch. When he got older I allowed him to make decisions on what to eat and he quickly learnt what foods made him feel "strange" and what was ok. Now that he has left home he cooks all his meals from scratch and eats very well. In general he is managing his ADHD just by eating the right foods. When he strays he knows very quicky. What you eat is very important.

I have Nourishing Traditions but can't seem to do much with it now. I try to cook different kinds of beans because I feel weak if I don't. I also noticed when I allow myself too many sweets I get emotional. We keep fruits available always but sadly don't eat as many vegetables as we should. I have prayed for us to eat better and we certainly need God's help with that.

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~ T. DeWitt Talmage

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